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Irish Times
25-04-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Frightfully unfashionable: Frank McNally on the century-long decline of adverbs
That Casimir Markievicz exhibition (Diary, April 23rd) reminded me in passing how dependent the upper classes of these islands used to be on what grammarians call 'degree adverbs'. Witness a letter, included in the show, in which Eva Gore-Booth congratulates her sister Constance on becoming engaged to the Polish count. 'I can't help being frightfully amused when I think of the bomb bursting,' she writes (the bomb-burst being the reaction when others find out). 'Still, I do hope you'll be awfully happy.' Those two adverbs alone convey the accent of the writer and also hint at a certain attitude to life found only in big houses, preferably Georgian, in the decades before and after 1900. READ MORE But it wasn't confined to adverbs. Adjectives ending in -ly were just as important, especially if they were 'ghastly' or 'beastly'. Here's a paragraph from Molly Keane's Good Behaviour, set in another big house a few years later, that has a bit of both: 'They were sending Richard to South Africa on a safari. It might help him a bit. 'He's taken this whole ghastly business terribly hard, poor boy,' Wobbly wrote.' The 'Wobbly' there sounds like an adjective too, which is a bit confusing. But no. The narrator tells us Wobbly is 'an old friend of Papa'. This way of speaking survived the first World War, unlike many big houses themselves. Or at least 'beastly' and 'ghastly' were still going strong in the mid-20th century novels of Enid Blyton, of which I read too many as a child. But 'awfully' and 'frightfully' were dying out by then, except in books and films evoking the earlier period. Modern literature had started to take a dim view of adverbs in general, a trend that has continued since. In a study of 1,500 books a few years ago, aimed at finding out what gains writers' critical acclaim, data journalist Ben Blatt concluded that a low adverb count was one of the keys. Books with fewer than 50 per 10,000 words had a strong chance of being considered 'great', he found. Although failing this test did not preclude wealth and fame. JK Rowling, for one, is famous for using adverbs of the -ly kind. Her favourites include 'coolly', 'calmly', 'ponderously' and 'snarkily'. But as the adverb-hating Stephen King summed up, snarkily: 'Ms Rowling seems to have never met one she didn't like.' Her overall adverb count, according to Blatt, is 140 per 10,000 words. Ernest Hemingway played a big part in making adverbs and adjectives unfashionable. And yet he used some odd ones himself on occasion, boldly going where no writer had gone before. Here, from For Whom the Bell Tolls, is a typical Hemingway passage, full of short, hard words, sometimes repeated for effect in long, flat sentences, and devoid of all -ly adverbs, with one notorious exception: 'Then there was the smell of heather crushed and the roughness of the bent stalks under her head and the sun bright on her closed eyes and all his life he would remember the curve of her throat with her head pushed back into the heather roots and her lips that moved smally and by themselves and the fluttering of the lashes on the eyes tight closed against the sun and against everything, and for her everything was red, orange, gold-red from the sun on the closed eyes.' Yes, her lips moved 'smally'. (And 'by themselves', whatever that means). There is an adverb nobody else in literature can have used before or since. Not even Donald 'Bigly' Trump would write it, if only because he has no time for diminutives. [ Bigly, Javanka, witch-hunt, sad! The Trump era in 32 words and phrases Opens in new window ] The -ly ending has fallen out of fashion in modern cuisine too. For mysterious reasons, upmarket restaurants will no longer serve 'slowly roasted pork', for example, if they can serve 'slow-roasted pork' instead (although the shorter version probably costs more). But an adverb that is still used a lot, and shouldn't be, gained renewed currency from events in Rome this week. Breaking the news, at least one British tabloid (along with many Twitter users) announced that Pope Francis had 'sadly died'. And yes, I know that grammar and syntax are not the most important things on such an occasion. I also know what each writer meant: that he or she was sad at the news. But the sentence implies that it was the pope who was upset at his own passing, as well he might be, and that in other circumstances he would have died happily. (Mind you, if anyone can die happily, one of the world's foremost believers in the afterlife has a better chance than most of us.) At least the writers here did use the verb 'die', which is often avoided now on social media. The euphemisms 'passed on' or just 'passed' tend to be preferred these days. When the dreaded d-word is used, as it was here, the effect needs to be softened with an adverb, placed however badly.
The Irish Sun
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I was mugged off in CBB's most infamous love triangle…my rival had racy sessions in the loos & my MUM tore into pop icon
SHE was caught in one of Celebrity Big Brother's most shocking love triangles that left fans fuming and her mum complaining she had been 'mugged off'. Former Page 3 girl Casey Batchelor was 'devastated' when, less than 24 hours after love rat 9 Glamour model Casey Batchelor entering the CBB house in 2014 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 9 Things heated up for her and Lee after they met on the show Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 9 Casey's mum Kim claimed Lee had 'mugged off' her daughter Credit: Channel 5 The Blue singer had spun a web of lies during his time in the CBB house in 2014, first feigning interest towards the busty star before moving on to US actress It was TV gold but In that famous outburst, Kim told her daughter: 'When he's in the diary room, he says that you get on his t**s and you won't leave him alone. He's mugged you off, darling.' Later read more from features Speaking about the legendary love triangle drama, she tells The Sun: 'Being in the CBB house makes things 1,000 times more intense, it's like having 10 dates in a row in one day. 'You get to know someone so quickly and so intensely that in just a day that it feels like you've known them for a week. 'Then a week feels like a month, everything escalates at a much quicker pace than in the outside world. I don't feel like people at home understand that.' Upon entering the CBB house, Most read in Reality The couple were seen cuddling in bed, where Lee was heard commenting on the model's 'huge boobs' and the pair regularly kissed while beneath the bedsheets. But at the same time, the singer's feelings were growing for Watch moment Donna claims she saw Chesney in a sex club It would lead to Lee and 'We kissed and made out and did stuff… Let's just say we did everything we wanted to do in there,' Understandably, the scenes left Reflecting, she told us: 'It's never nice when you see someone get with the person you've been with and are in a situation where you have to be there in the same room with them. 'It's not like you can take yourself away or go out with your friends, everything in there's a lot more intense. 'Because I knew there weren't any cameras in the toilets, I took myself there because I didn't want anyone to see me ugly cry.' 'Mugged off' Casey was blindsided until the task 'For Whom the Bell Tolls', in housemates had to remain frozen while friends and family came into the room and spoke to them. 9 Lee looked rather sheepish after Casey's mum warned her to stay away from him Credit: Channel 5 9 Previously they posted for this racy snap Credit: Channel 5 9 He moved on rather quickly with US actress Jasmine Waltz Credit: Shutterstock Editorial For the glamour model it was her mum Kim, who pleaded: 'Keep away from Lee. Honestly, darling, he tells you one thing then behind your back he tells housemates other things. 'And when he's in the diary room, he says that you get on his t**s and you won't leave him alone. He's mugged you off, darling. He has mugged you off. But listen, I love you so much." The clip would go viral and, even now regularly resurfaces on TikTok. But Casey is glad her mum put her straight as it helped her to finally realise Lee was stringing her along. She tells us: 'Mums always know best and tell you the right thing to do. It was only when Mum came in that it really sunk in for me.' After that moment, Casey broke down telling co-star Luisa Zissman: 'I really just wanna get out now. I can't take it anymore in here. I literally can't take it anymore.' Meanwhile, Lee moaned in the diary room: 'I'm being labelled some love rat when I'm f***ing single. I'm not with anybody… It takes two to tango, it's not just me playing games.' Whenever we left our hotel room we had a towel put over our heads and we weren't allowed to look up so we couldn't see anyone. Casey Batchelor While tensions were high at the time, Casey insists there are no hard feelings now - as she's engaged to partner Dane Goodson and has three children. She tells us: 'Lee has got a good heart but just gets himself into a pickle at times. There's no animosity. I'd say hello if I saw him. I've got three kids now and am happily in a relationship.' Show twist Casey's conflicted when it comes to the show, wishing they showed more of her fun side and that she 'kept my distance from Lee' after mum Kim spoke to her. 'Instead they showed the love triangle, which I completely get. People love to watch a love story unfold… or not in my case,' she says. 'It was the best CBB series to date and had some of the show's highest ratings because of the love triangle. They even extended the show longer than it should have been because of it.' In the final days of the show, Casey claims producers invited each housemate into the diary room and then to another hidden room for a 'Top Secret chat'. 9 Casey says there are no hard feelings now but before she was devastated Credit: Channel 5 9 They paired up during some of the CBB challenges Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 9 Casey suspects CBB bosses were hoping for a romance between Chris Hughes and Ella Rae Wise Credit: Eroteme 'They made us go through a back door, take off our microphones and head into this secret room with a producer,' she tells us. 'They said, 'We can't tell you what happened or why but we want to extend the show for an extra few days, are you happy to do this?' As long as we all agreed they would go ahead. 'I think it went on for five days more and that was because of the ratings and it was so successful. But then we weren't allowed to talk about it after because we were filming.' 'Secretive' scenes It was an intense experience from the off, with Casey claiming prospective housemates were cut off from the outside world and held in a hotel for three or four days. 'It was really secretive,' she says. 'Whenever we left our hotel room we had a towel put over our heads and we weren't allowed to look up so we couldn't see anyone." She claims they weren't allowed to watch TV or have internet access and only had their chaperone for company until it was their time to go on the show. I'm being labelled some love rat when I'm f***ing single. I'm not with anybody… It takes two to tango, it's not just me playing games Lee Ryan Casey says: 'In the evening we went into the house, they picked us up in a car, put a blindfold and headphones on us and drove us there. 'It's only just before you step out that you're allowed to take them off with everyone staring at you. It was pretty overwhelming.' Casey placed sixth in the series, which was won by controversial comedian Jim Davidson and saw N-Dubz rapper Dappy, Ollie and Luisa named as runners-up. The star tells us she would be thrilled to be invited back on for an CBB All-Stars special - although this time believes she would be more of a mumsy figure in the house. 'Mates still wind me up over CBB remark,' says ex-star By Josh Saunders CELEBRITY Big Brother star James Jordan reveals he's still haunted and ripped by pals over a cheeky quip he made on the show. In an exclusive interview with The Sun, courtesy of 'I was taking the mick but I'm not sure that translated to everyone. My mates still wind me up by calling me Brad Pitt to this day.' On James even suspects she may have 'done her research on people' to ensure her barbs were particularly cutting. 'She would throw insults out at people and dig up stuff about their personal lives,' he told us. 'I had done zero research on anyone so the fact she knew so much about people's business made me realise she'd plotted the whole thing. 'I saw her after Big Brother at an event and she was as nice as could be. Totally opposite to the CBB house.' He also suspects producers had subtle plans to make situations more heated… quite literally, by turning up the thermostat in the house. 'They would really mess with you in terms of the temperature or the lights,' James tells us. 'You couldn't sleep whenever you wanted to and sometimes, they wouldn't turn the bedroom lights off until 1am - and they are bright - even if people were begging to sleep. 'I remember they once turned the heating up so high and locked us in the bedroom. 'They only let us out because [Olympic boxer] Audley Harrison threatened to smash the doors open. And he's a big guy.' Speaking on this year's CBB, Casey says she was 'gutted' when ex-Tory MP When asked about romance in the house, she says: 'My year was so popular because of the love triangle and they definitely hoped for a little romance this year too. 'I think they wanted something to happen between 'It's pot-luck at the end of the day, they put big personalities in there hoping for the best TV but you can't force things to happen. Sometimes it just doesn't work.' Celebrity Big Brother airs at 9pm on weekdays and 10pm on Sundays on ITV1.
The Sun
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I was mugged off in CBB's most infamous love triangle…my rival had racy sessions in the loos & my MUM tore into pop icon
SHE was caught in one of Celebrity Big Brother's most shocking love triangles that left fans fuming and her mum complaining she had been 'mugged off'. Former Page 3 girl Casey Batchelor was 'devastated' when, less than 24 hours after love rat Lee Ryan smooched and snuggled up to her in bed, he kissed another housemate. 9 9 9 The Blue singer had spun a web of lies during his time in the CBB house in 2014, first feigning interest towards the busty star before moving on to US actress Jasmine Waltz. It was TV gold but heartbreaking for Casey, who tells us she would lock herself in the bathroom for 'ugly cries' and it was only her mum's blunt words which finally woke her up. In that famous outburst, Kim told her daughter: 'When he's in the diary room, he says that you get on his t**s and you won't leave him alone. He's mugged you off, darling.' Later Lee would enrage CBB fans when he accused Casey of making 'a big f***ing drama out of it' and 'acting like a 12-year-old' after leading her on. Speaking about the legendary love triangle drama, she tells The Sun: 'Being in the CBB house makes things 1,000 times more intense, it's like having 10 dates in a row in one day. 'You get to know someone so quickly and so intensely that in just a day that it feels like you've known them for a week. 'Then a week feels like a month, everything escalates at a much quicker pace than in the outside world. I don't feel like people at home understand that.' Upon entering the CBB house, 34GG-cup Casey was handcuffed to Lee and soon housemates, including Made In Chelsea 's Ollie Locke, noted they could 'cut the sexual tension with a knife'. The couple were seen cuddling in bed, where Lee was heard commenting on the model's 'huge boobs' and the pair regularly kissed while beneath the bedsheets. But at the same time, the singer's feelings were growing for Jasmine with him confessing: 'I can see it ending wrong for me… She's beautiful, she's so pretty, she's f***ing hilarious.' Watch moment Donna claims she saw Chesney in a sex club It would lead to Lee and Jasmine sneaking off into the toilets multiple times, where the tap was left running to cover suspicious noises - amid claims they had sex. 'We kissed and made out and did stuff… Let's just say we did everything we wanted to do in there,' Jasmine would later tell the Daily Star. Understandably, the scenes left Casey distraught. In the house she admitted 'it broke my heart' and 'all of a sudden my best friend was gone'. Reflecting, she told us: 'It's never nice when you see someone get with the person you've been with and are in a situation where you have to be there in the same room with them. 'It's not like you can take yourself away or go out with your friends, everything in there's a lot more intense. 'Because I knew there weren't any cameras in the toilets, I took myself there because I didn't want anyone to see me ugly cry.' 'Mugged off' Casey was blindsided until the task 'For Whom the Bell Tolls', in housemates had to remain frozen while friends and family came into the room and spoke to them. 9 9 9 For the glamour model it was her mum Kim, who pleaded: 'Keep away from Lee. Honestly, darling, he tells you one thing then behind your back he tells housemates other things. 'And when he's in the diary room, he says that you get on his t**s and you won't leave him alone. He's mugged you off, darling. He has mugged you off. But listen, I love you so much." The clip would go viral and, even now regularly resurfaces on TikTok. But Casey is glad her mum put her straight as it helped her to finally realise Lee was stringing her along. She tells us: 'Mums always know best and tell you the right thing to do. It was only when Mum came in that it really sunk in for me.' After that moment, Casey broke down telling co-star Luisa Zissman: 'I really just wanna get out now. I can't take it anymore in here. I literally can't take it anymore.' Meanwhile, Lee moaned in the diary room: 'I'm being labelled some love rat when I'm f***ing single. I'm not with anybody… It takes two to tango, it's not just me playing games.' Whenever we left our hotel room we had a towel put over our heads and we weren't allowed to look up so we couldn't see anyone. Casey Batchelor While tensions were high at the time, Casey insists there are no hard feelings now - as she's engaged to partner Dane Goodson and has three children. She tells us: 'Lee has got a good heart but just gets himself into a pickle at times. There's no animosity. I'd say hello if I saw him. I've got three kids now and am happily in a relationship.' Show twist Casey's conflicted when it comes to the show, wishing they showed more of her fun side and that she 'kept my distance from Lee' after mum Kim spoke to her. 'Instead they showed the love triangle, which I completely get. People love to watch a love story unfold… or not in my case,' she says. 'It was the best CBB series to date and had some of the show's highest ratings because of the love triangle. They even extended the show longer than it should have been because of it.' In the final days of the show, Casey claims producers invited each housemate into the diary room and then to another hidden room for a 'Top Secret chat'. 9 9 9 'They made us go through a back door, take off our microphones and head into this secret room with a producer,' she tells us. 'They said, 'We can't tell you what happened or why but we want to extend the show for an extra few days, are you happy to do this?' As long as we all agreed they would go ahead. 'I think it went on for five days more and that was because of the ratings and it was so successful. But then we weren't allowed to talk about it after because we were filming.' 'Secretive' scenes It was an intense experience from the off, with Casey claiming prospective housemates were cut off from the outside world and held in a hotel for three or four days. 'It was really secretive,' she says. 'Whenever we left our hotel room we had a towel put over our heads and we weren't allowed to look up so we couldn't see anyone." She claims they weren't allowed to watch TV or have internet access and only had their chaperone for company until it was their time to go on the show. I'm being labelled some love rat when I'm f***ing single. I'm not with anybody… It takes two to tango, it's not just me playing games Lee Ryan Casey says: 'In the evening we went into the house, they picked us up in a car, put a blindfold and headphones on us and drove us there. 'It's only just before you step out that you're allowed to take them off with everyone staring at you. It was pretty overwhelming.' Casey placed sixth in the series, which was won by controversial comedian Jim Davidson and saw N-Dubz rapper Dappy, Ollie and Luisa named as runners-up. The star tells us she would be thrilled to be invited back on for an CBB All-Stars special - although this time believes she would be more of a mumsy figure in the house. 'Mates still wind me up over CBB remark,' says ex-star By Josh Saunders CELEBRITY Big Brother star James Jordan reveals he's still haunted and ripped by pals over a cheeky quip he made on the show. In an exclusive interview with The Sun, courtesy of Betway, he tells us: 'I do regret telling Gary Busey I was the 'Brad Pitt of the dance world'. 'I was taking the mick but I'm not sure that translated to everyone. My mates still wind me up by calling me Brad Pitt to this day.' On Kim Woodburn, who starred alongside him on CBB in 2017, the Strictly dancer believes she intentionally stirred up trouble 'to make memorable TV' and be 'seen as an icon'. James even suspects she may have 'done her research on people' to ensure her barbs were particularly cutting. 'She would throw insults out at people and dig up stuff about their personal lives,' he told us. 'I had done zero research on anyone so the fact she knew so much about people's business made me realise she'd plotted the whole thing. 'I saw her after Big Brother at an event and she was as nice as could be. Totally opposite to the CBB house.' He also suspects producers had subtle plans to make situations more heated… quite literally, by turning up the thermostat in the house. 'They would really mess with you in terms of the temperature or the lights,' James tells us. 'You couldn't sleep whenever you wanted to and sometimes, they wouldn't turn the bedroom lights off until 1am - and they are bright - even if people were begging to sleep. 'I remember they once turned the heating up so high and locked us in the bedroom. 'They only let us out because [Olympic boxer] Audley Harrison threatened to smash the doors open. And he's a big guy.' Speaking on this year's CBB, Casey says she was 'gutted' when ex-Tory MP Michael Fabricant was voted out and hopes actress Donna Preston 'comes more out of her shell'. When asked about romance in the house, she says: 'My year was so popular because of the love triangle and they definitely hoped for a little romance this year too. 'I think they wanted something to happen between Ella Rae Wise and Chris Hughes but it hasn't. 'It's pot-luck at the end of the day, they put big personalities in there hoping for the best TV but you can't force things to happen. Sometimes it just doesn't work.'
